Lifestyle: A tender touch can be crucial to long-term relationships

A new study conducted at Indiana University discovered that acts of tenderness such as cuddling and caressing are important to happiness in a long-term relationship, according to PsychCentral.com.

There were a few surprising facts that the findings revealed as well.

Tenderness seemed to be more highly regarded by men, while women were more likely to say that they were happy with their sex lives. Men said that they were happy in a relationship more often than their female counterparts.

The participants were middle-aged or older, and couples who were together A tender touch can be crucial to long-term relationships for an average of around 25 years. The news source reports that it is the first of its kind to study the sexual health and relationship welfare of older couples.

“You hear repeated research and commentary about divorce; but it’s important to note that though divorce rates are high in the U.S., couples tend to stay married – more than 50 percent of U.S. couples remain in their first marriage, and that number goes up to 90 percent in Spain,” said Julia Heiman, Ph.D., lead author of the article, according to the news source. “We know from other research that being in a long-term relationship has some value to health. Perhaps we can learn more about what makes relationships both sustainable and happy.”

Overall, the happiest couples appeared to be Japanese, followed by Americans. Brazilian and Spanish partners were found to be less content. However, American men were more than twice as dissatisfied with their sex lives than Japanese men, and American women were the least sexually satisfied of all.

This emphasizes the need for couples to keep sex new by adding accessories to a bedroom routine. Even a simple addition like personal lubricant can make the experience a vibrant and unforgettable one, and there are plenty of other things to experiment with in the future – especially if you’ve been together for so many years!